Prof. Dr. Mehmet Veli Karaaltın entered the medical literature with 26 surgeries he performed.
He made significant contributions to the treatment of lymphedema, commonly known as elephantiasis, and limb loss. Karaaltın successfully transplanted two toes from the foot to replace two severed fingers of a mechanical engineer.
Plastic, Aesthetic, and Reconstructive Surgeon Prof. Dr. Mehmet Veli Karaaltın, despite his young age, has made a name for himself in the medical literature with 26 surgeries related to the treatment of lymphedema, commonly known as 'elephantiasis.' Karaaltın has also compiled the stories of his surgeries and patients in a book. He mentioned that he has a significant number of patients not only in Turkey but also abroad. “A total of 26 of my patients underwent lymph node transfer surgery. It is the only case series in Turkey. In two of these patients, treatment was applied for genital lymphedema for the first time in the world. In four patients, a three-level lymph node transfer was performed for the first time globally. In a single session, lymph nodes were transferred to three regions: the ankle, behind the knee, and the groin area,” said Karaaltın.
THEY SAID THERE WAS NO CURE FOR ELEPHANTIASIS'
According to Fatmanur Boylu's report in Gazete Habertürk, Syrian national Yaşar Süleyman contracted a disease commonly known as elephantiasis at the age of four. Fleeing his country due to attacks by the terrorist organization ISIS, Süleyman sought refuge in Turkey. He described how his legs had grown to three times the size of a normal person's legs and said, "They told me there was no cure for my disease. When I came to Turkey, not only did my living conditions change, but Dr. Karaaltın also told me he could perform my surgery—and he did. He didn’t charge me a single penny because I had no money."
Melih Serter, a mechanical engineer from Manisa who invented eight different machines, went to his workshop to check on a machine he had sold. During the inspection, he caught his thumb and little finger of his right hand in the machine. "Both of my severed fingers were completely shattered. It was impossible to reattach them. Dr. Karaaltın successfully transplanted my toes to my hand. I can use my hands as I did before. I have increased the number of my inventions from eight to fourteen," Serter explained.